Apparatus for coating elongated articles



Nov. 15, 1955 MASON ET AL 2,723,647

APPARATUS FOR COATING ELONGATED ARTICLES Filed Dec. 8, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet l 660/149 M050 Ja/zr? fi-Maso/y Awe 445M450 flan 0mm M450INVENTOR5.

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Nov. 15, 1955 MASON ET AL APPARATUS FOR COATING ELONGATED ARTICLES 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 George M450 dob 7 5i M0500 24 19/7? MM050 22 567mm M4500 INVENTOR.

Unite 2,723,647 Patented Nov. 15, 1955 APPARATUS FOR COATING ELONGATEDARTICLES George Mason and John B. Mason, Kansas City, Mo., and Arie M.Mason and Benjamin Mason, Prairie Village, Kans., assignors to MasonPlastics Co., Inc., Kansas City, Kans., a corporation of KansasApplication December 8, 1952, Serial No. 324,731 Claims. (Cl. 118-404)This invention relates to apparatus for coating various types ofarticles, particularly those of an elongated nature, with substancesthat are initially in at least a semi-fluid condition and capable ofdrying and hardening when exposed to the atmosphere.

It has been found advantageous with respect to many articles ofmerchandise to place protective coatings thereon, and in the use of theparticular invention herein involved, such coating substance takes theform of a synthetic plastic material. Such materials, when properlyformulated, are capable of rendering the article coated therebywaterproof, resistant to excessive wear, and electrically insulated.

One of such articles includes electrical probes in the nature ofelongated poles, it being highly essential that such probes be insulatedagainst passage of electrical currents. The probes are usually made ofwooden stock and unless the same are kept in a dry condition at alltimes, they become extremely dangerous when working with high tensionlines. Furthermore, while the wood poles are light and inexpensive andtherefore, advantageous from this standpoint, they are not long lastingbecause of the abuse that the same must take during use. A much moreetficient article is thereby presented through coating of the same witha plastic substance as above mentioned, and it is the primary ob ject ofthe present invention therefore, to present apparatus that will rendersuch task easy and efficient.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide coatingapparatus that includes a housing for the coating substance having a dieassembly for receiving the article to be coated, together with a novelvalve that may be closed to permit changing of the die assembly asneeded to accommodate articles of differing diameters.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of adie assembly that is mounted within the valve and accordingly, withinthe housing for containing the coating materials, through novelstructure that facilitates easy and rapid changing as desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide in apparatus for coatingelongated articles, structure for advancing the article to be coated andsimultaneously rotating the same on its longitudinal axis.

Other objects include the way in which the articleadvancing meansincludes a pair of angularly displaced rollers that are individuallydriven and engage the article itself; the way in which the rollers aremounted on swingable arms that include structure for varying thedistance between the rollers as desired; and many more minor objectsincluding details of construction, all of which will be made clear orbecome apparent as the following specification progresses, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front perspective view of apparatus for coating elongatedarticles made pursuant to the present invention. i

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, front elevational 2 viewillustrating the article advancing mechanism together with the diehousing.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken onirregular line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 4.

The elongated rod or pole 10 to be coated through use of the apparatusabout to be described, is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. While,as above mentioned, the pole 10 is adapted for use in connection withhigh tension electrical wires, it may Well have other advantageous usesafter coating thereof and articles differing from that illustrated mayalso be coated when the present machine is placed in operation.

The pole 10 is advanced through a die housing broadly designated by thenumeral 12 and simultaneously rotated on its longitudinal axis throughmeans of mechanism 14, the construction and operation whereof willhereinafter be set forth. The substance that is used to coat the pole 10is contained or'stored within an elevated tank 16 that terminates at itslowermost end in a hopper-like portion 18, all of which is in turnsupported by framework or leg means 20. The hollow housing 12 is mounteddirectly upon the normally front face of the tank 16 and is ofdouble-wall construction as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 to present ahot water chamber 22 that substantially surrounds a compartment 24 forreceiving the coating substance from the tank 16. Tank 16 is alsosubstantially of double wall construc tion throughout as shown in Figs.3 and 5, to present a space 26 that also receives hot water.

A liquid pump 28 communicates at its outlet end with a heater 30 whichin turn is joined with the chamber 22 at its uppermost end by a line 32.A pipe 34 interconnects the chamber 22 of housing 12 with the space 26of tank 16 and space 26 is in turn joined with the inlet of pump 28 bymeans of a pipe 36 shown in part only in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The compartment 24 of housing 12 is in direct communication with thehopper portion 18 of tank 16 by means of an opening 38; and a valveassembly or gate means broadly designated by the numeral 40, is mountedwithin the compartment 24. Valving means 40 includes a hollow cylinder42 that is rigidly secured to the housing 12 therewithin and providedwith a plurality of spaced, circumferentially arranged, elongated slotsor openings 44. A cylindrical band circumscribes the cylinder 42 and isrotatably mounted thereon. The band 50 is likewise provided with anumber of elongated slots or openings 52. Rotation of the band '50 tobring the openings 52 thereof in and out of register with openings 44,is accomplished through the medium of an arm 62 that is secured directlyto the band 50 and extends laterally therefrom.

A crank 59 having a slot 61 for receiving pin 63 on arm 62 is pivotallyconnected with a link 64 by means of a rod 65. A handle 66 exteriorly ofthe tank 16 and swingably secured thereto joins with the link 64.

A combination die assembly and flow control means 46 in valve 40includes a pair of perforated end discs 47 and 48 carried by housing 12and interconnected by a number of rods 49. An inlet tube 51 is mountedon disc 47, and disc 48 has a frusto-conical bore portion 53 adapted toreceive a tubular member 54. A band 55 on member 54 is slidable on therods 49 and has a setscrew 56 for holding the same in adjustedpositions. Tube 51 and member 54 are internally bevelled at the inletends thereof as at 57 and 58 respectively to facilitate insertion ofmember 10, and member 54 is exteriorly bevelled at the opposite endthereof as at 60. Member 54 is of 3 resilient material and provided witha number of longitudinal slots 68.

A cavity in disc 48 receives a wiping washer 72 that is in turn held inplace by a removable, perforated end plate 74, on housing 12. A secondend plate 76 surrounds tube 51.

Optional equipment for assuring fast drying of the coating on the pole1% includes an annular, hollow member 78 held in circumscribingrelationship to the article 16 by means of a laterally extending arm 80.A bracket 82 on the housing 12 releasably receives the arm 88. Member 78 is provided with a plurality of extremely fine perforations 84 on itsinnermost face for the escape of air under pressure that is directed tothe member 78 by means of a tube 86.

Mechanism 14 includes a suitable stand 88 having a lowermost pair ofspaced arms 90 swingably secured thereto by means of a shaft 92.Likewise, an uppermost pair of spaced-apart arms 94 is swingablerelative to the frame or support 88 by means of a horizontal shaft 96directly above and substantially parallel with the shaft 92.

Arms 9% and 94 rotatably mount rollers 98 and 100 respectively, each ofwhich is longitudinally concave and mounted on horizontal shafts 182 and104 respectively. Shafts 102 and 104 are in separate vertical planesthat intersect each other and the longitudinal axis of article 10 as isclear in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Rotation is imparted to the rollers 98 and 100 through the medium of anelectric motor or other prime mover 106, operably coupled with a shaft108 through speed reducer 1111. A pulley 112 on shaft 188 is operablyjoined with the speed reducer through a continuous belt 114 and shaft108 is provided with another pulley not shown, over which a continuousbelt 116 is trained. Belt 116 also passes over a pulley 118 to impartrotation to shaft 96 and a second pulley on shaft 96 not shown, joinedwith a pulley 120 on shaft 104 through the medium of a belt 122.

A gear box 124 is provided with a pair of intermeshing gears notillustrated, having a l to 1 ratio. One of the gears is joined to shaft198 while the other gear is on a stub shaft 126 having a pulley 128thereon. Shaft 92 has a pair of pulleys 1319 and 132, the former ofwhich is connected with the pulley 128 by continuous belt 134. Pulley132 is joined with a pulley 136 by continuous belt 138, pulley 136 beingsecured directly to shaft 102.

'It is seen that through such coupling of the rollers 98 and 100 withthe prime mover 106, rollers 98 and 100 are driven in a direction toimpart advancement to the rod 10 as well as rotation on its longitudinalaxis. The F rollers 98 and 100 are held in tight engagement with thearticle '10 by means of an adjustable clamping assembly 140, thatincludes bars 142 and 144 rigid to arms 90 and 94 respectively.

A pair of interconnected rods 146 are threaded through the bars 142 and14 4 at each end respectively thereof and a cross-head 148 overlying thebar 144, slidably receives the uppermost rods 146. Adjustment isattained in part by means of nuts 150 on the ends of the rods 146. Atubular adjusting screw 152 carried by the crosshead 148, receives areciprocable bolt 154 that passes downwardly through cross-head 148 andthrough the bar 144, there being an adjusting nut (not shown) on thelowermost end of the bolt 154 below the bar 144. A spring 156 isinterposed between cross-head 148 and the bar 144 in coiled relationshipto the bolt 154. Bolt 154 has a cross-pin 158 at the uppermost endthereof for swingably and eccentrically receiving a cam member 160provided with a handle 162. It is seen that when the handle 162 is swungdownwardly on the bolt 154 to one end of its path of travel, the spring156 is compressed'as bar 1 14 moves toward the cross-head 148, therebyreleasing the rollers 98 and 1% relative to the article. 1i), When thehandle 1562 is swung upwardly to the opposite ,endof its path of travel,spring 156 operates to separate bar 144 and cross-head 148, therebyyie'id'a'bly holding the rollers 98 and 108 in engagement with thearticle 19. The distance between the rollers 98 and 108 when the sameare operably engaging the article Ill, may be varied by adjusting screw152, nuts 15%, or the nut on the lowermost end of the bolt 154. Acounterweight 16 1 on the uppermost arms 94, serves to maintain thearticle 1t} properly centered with respect to the tube 51 and the dieassembly 46.

A carriage 156 is provided with rollers 168 that ride on the uppermostedge of an elongated track 170. Carriage 166 is also provided with alowermost roller 172 that engages one vertical face of a relatively longbar 174. Carriage 16 5 has a bracket 1'76 that pivctally carries alateral extension 178 having a notched plate 180 secured thereto. A nailor like element 182 driven into one end of the article 16 is received bythe notch or plate 180.

A yieldable bias is placed on the extension 178 by means of a spring 184that holds the extension 178 against lhfi? carriage 166 as determined byan adjustable stop 186,

An instrument panel 188 is provided to receive the various necessarycontrols for prime mover 106, an elec: tric motor 190 for pump 28, avalve to control the flow of air to member "i8, certain electricswitches, as well temperature and pressure gauges as illustrated.

it is seen that in operation, article 10 is threaded be: tween therollers 98 and 1% when the same are released through use of handle 162and when rollers 98 and 10.0 are caused to rotate by energization ofprime mover 196, the article ill will be projected through the member 54and simultaneously rotated on its longitudinal axis. With valve 40 open,the plastic coating substance is free to flow from the tank 16 throughhopper portion 18 to the compartment 24 by way of opening 38. Suchsubstance enters the cylinder 42 by means 'of aligned openings 44 and 52and also enters the bore portion 53. As the article 19 is advanced, itwill become coated with the substance and cleared of excess material bythe wiping washer 72. Element 182 is thereupon placed in the plate 138and the carriage 166 caused to move along the tracks 179 and 174 by theadvancement of the article 13. While the article 10 is supported by thecarriage 166, spring 184 provides for the necessary yielding so as toprevent any possibility of jamming or binding within the housing 12.

The coating substance is maintained at a predetermined temperature so asto remain semi-fluid through hot water emanating from heater 30 andpassing first to the chamber 22 and thence to the space'26 for return topump 28 by means or" pipe 36. If desired, the coating substance may bedried more rapidly by use of the member 78 since air under pressureemanating from the minute perforations 84 will impinge directly uponsuch substance as soon as the same emerges from the housing 12.

When it becomes necessary to change the assembly 46 to accommodatearticles 11) of differing diameters, it is but necessary to remove theplates 74 and 76. In order to prevent flow of the coating substance fromthe compartment 24, the operator need merely manipulate handle 66 torotate band 50 and thereby close the openings 52 relative to openings44.

While my method for coating elongated articles, fully. disclosed andclaimed in our co-pending application, Serial No. 324,732,tiledDece-mber 8, 1952, and entitled-lt-lethod of floating ElongatedArticles forms no part of the present invention, it may be pointed outby way of explanation that the amount of plastic substance that ispermitted to flow to the rod or pole as the latter is within bore 53 andapproaching wiping washer '72 is extremely important. Such flow may beprecisely controlled by the shifting of the member 54 alepg the o g dinare; of t ro s. 4. Ihe nar at r nest merely loosen the setscrew 56and-project the bevelled end 61 of the member 54 further into the disc48, i. e,, the

frusto-conical bore portion 53 thereof, to diminish the rapidity of flowof the substance from within the valving means 40 into the bore 53 ofthe disc 48. The bevelled portion 60 cooperates with the bore portion 53in facilitating uninterrupted fiow of the material, but the amount ofthe substance that is deposited upon the pole as the same moves spirallythrough the housing 12, is dependent entirely upon the amount of saidsubstance within the bore 53 of the disc 48. The material is immediatelywiped by the circular washer 72 to assure an even coating of thesubstance on the pole 10. In the method aforesaid, a rather thin coatingof the substance is placed on the pole 10 during its first passagethrough the housing 12.

After drying a predetermined period of time, the pole may thereuponagain be extended through the housing 12, but before the next operation,the plate 74 is removed and a wiping washer 72 of slightly largerinternal diameter is inserted in the cavity 70. Likewise, in subsequentcoating operations, washers 72 of progressively increased insidediameters are substituted. It is apparent also that if desired theoperator can quickly and easily adjust the member 54 between theoperations. Each time the plate 74 is removed, valve 40 may be closed toavoid loss of the material from the housing 12.

Some of the particular substances that may be used in the apparatushereof consist of such synthesized materials as hyper-solids gel,organasols, and plastisols. Such materials are capable of gelatinatingsolely by changing of their temperatures which may include a solventthat evaporates during the setting thereof on the pole, together with asuitable film forming media or ester. A plasticizer and a coloringpigment may be used if desired.

The machine hereof takes advantage of these characteristics of thegelatinous materials, causing the same to form on a regular-shapedobject by use of the member 54 and the sizing die 72. Noteworthy is thefact that the article 10 enters the controlled flow composition belowthe surface thereof, making possible a continuous process, eliminatingall problems of picking up skins on such surface.

Use of spring or mechanically centered member 54 presents the object 10in proper relation to the sizing means 72 and should be positioned asclose as practical thereto while assuring smooth, continuous andsuflicient flow of the substance to the pole 10. By use of ring 78, airblasts may be directed to the coated member to break up air bubbles andpresent a smooth finished surface.

Other important factors relating to critical steps that must be followedhave to do with the method as aforesaid and need not be enumeratedherein for a full understanding of the operation of the apparatus aboveset forth.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In article coating apparatus, a hollow housing adapted to contain acoating substance; a hollow cylinder mounted within the housing; atubular member adapted to receive an article to be coated and traversingthe housing and the cylinder, said member communicating with thecylinder; and a band circumscribing the cylinder for rotation relativethereto, said band and said cylinder having inlet openings formedtherein and disposed for registration upon rotation of the band to admitsaid coating substance to the cylinder; means including one end of saidmember for limiting the flow of said substance between said end of themember and a portion of said housing and onto the article as the latteris moved from said end of the member; and means carried by the housingfor limiting the thickness of the coating of said substance on thearticle.

2. In a coating machine, a container for a coating substance having aninlet opening and an outlet opening for receiving an article to beadvanced through the substance; sizing means adjacent the outlet forcontrolling the thickness of a coat of said substance on the article;means within said substance for guiding the article through the sizingmeans and thereby render said coat of uniform thickness; means includinga disc having an opening therethrough disposed to cooperate with one endof the guide means for limiting the extent of flow of said substancebetween said disc and said guide means and onto the article; and gatemeans surrounding the guide means and the flow limiting means forcontrolling the flow of said substance thereto.

3. In a coating machine, a container for a coating substance having aninlet opening and an outlet opening for receiving an article to beadvanced through the substance; sizing means adjacent the outlet forcontrolling the thickness of a coat of said substance on the article;means within said substance for guiding the article through the sizingmeans and thereby render said coat of uniform thickness; means includinga disc having an opening therethrough disposed to cooperate with one endof the guide means for limiting the extent of flow of said substancebetween said disc and said guiding means and onto the article, saidguide means being movable toward and away from said flow limiting meanswhereby to vary said flow; and gate means surrounding the guide meansand the How limiting means for controlling the flow of said substancethereto.

4. In a coating machine, a container for a coating substance having aninlet opening and an outlet opening for receiving an article to beadvanced through the substance; sizing means adjacent the outlet forcontrolling the thickness of a coat of said substance on the article;resilient, article-engaging means disposed within said substance forcentering and guiding the article through the sizing means to therebyrender said coat of predetermined and uniform thickness; means includinga disc having an opening therethrough disposed to cooperate with one endof the guide means for limiting the extent of flow of said substancebetween said disc and said guide means and onto the article, said guidemeans being movable toward and away from said How limiting means wherebyto vary said flow; and gate means surrounding the guide means and theflow limiting means for controlling the flow of said substance thereto.

5. A coating apparatus comprising, a jacketed container for the coatingcomposition and adapted to receive a predetermined quantity of same;means for heating said jacketed container, said container having twoaligned apertures disposed below the level of said composition forpassing the article to be coated; tubular means carried in one aperturefor passing the article without leakage; wiping means carried in theother aperture for passing the article with a predetermined thickness ofcoating; and valve means extending from side to side of said containerbelow the level of said composition for keeping the latter from saidapertures, while changing the sizes of said first mentioned meanscarried in each of said apertures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,164,023 Smith Dec. 14, 1915 1,345,719 Vavra July 6, 1920 1,406,047Mikshell Feb. 7, 1922 2,014,378 Gardiner et al. Sept. 17, 1935 2,016,201Hudson Oct. 1, 1935 2,051,634 Carroll et a1 Aug. 18, 1936 2,111,853Fourness et a1 Mar. 22, 1938 2,147,308 Mickelson et a1 Feb. 14, 19392,305,005 Henry Dec. 15, 1942 2,545,792 Perrault Mar. 20, 1951 2,574,706Perrault Nov. 13, 1951 2,649,757 Diamond Aug. 25, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS15,149 Great Britain Oct. 26, 1915

1. IN ARTICLE COATING APPARATUS, A HOLLOW HOUSING ADAPTED TO CONTAIN ACOATING SUBSTANCE; A HOLLOW CYLINDER MOUNTED WITHIN IN THE HOUSING; ATUBULAR MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN ARTICLE TO BE COATED AND TRAVERSINGTHE HOUSING AND THE CYLINDER, SAID MEMBER COMMUNICATING WITH THECYLINDER; AND A BAND CIRCUMSCRIBING THE CYLINDER FOR ROTATION RELATIVETHERETO, SAID BAND AND SAID CYLINDER HAVING INLET OPENINGS FORMEDTHEREIN AND DISPOSED FOR REGISTRATION UPON ROTATION OF THE BAND TO ADMITSAID COATING SUBSTANCE TO THE CYLINDER; MEANS INCLUDING ONE END OF SAIDMEMBER FOR LIMITING THE FLOW OF SAID SUBSTANCE BETWEEN